Editing Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery

{{Short description|Cemetery in Los Angeles, California}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2013}}
{{infobox cemetery
| name        = Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
| image       = Portal of the Folded Wings.JPG
| caption     = Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation, the former entrance to the cemetery 
| map_type    =
| map_size    =
| map_caption =
| established = {{Date and age|1923}}
| country     = United States
| location    = [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles]] and [[Burbank, California]]
| coordinates =
| latitude    =
| longitude   =
| type        =
| style       =
| owner       = [[Service Corporation International]]
| size        = {{cvt|63|acre}}
| graves      =
| interments  =
| cremations  =
| leases      =
| website     =
| findagraveid= 8420
}}
'''Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery''' is a [[cemetery]] located at 10621 [[Victory Boulevard (Los Angeles)|Victory Boulevard]], straddling the border between the [[Los Angeles]] neighborhood of [[North Hollywood]] and [[Burbank, California]].

The cemetery's East entrance features the [[Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation]], the final resting place for aviation pioneers — "barnstormers, daredevils and sundry architects of aviation". The cemetery is south of [[Hollywood Burbank Airport]]. It has memorials to [[Amelia Earhart]] and others, honoring their accomplishments. The portal features colorful tiled dome and female figures stretching their arms to the heavens. The cemetery was named "[[Valhalla]]" for the hall of slain warriors presided over by [[Odin]], the Norse god of war and death, amongst other associations.

Among those interred in Valhalla are celebrities from the entertainment industry.<ref name=fleming>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-la-walks-valhalla-memorial-in-north-hollywood-20190209-story.html| title=A great L.A. Walk: Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| first=Charles| last=Fleming| date=February 9, 2019| access-date=February 10, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
=== Founding ===
Valhalla was founded in 1923 by Los Angeles financiers John R. Osborne and C. C. Fitzpatrick. The [[Spanish Mission Revival]] entrance structure was designed by architect Kenneth McDonald Jr. For the decorative stone castings, McDonald hired Italian-born sculptor Federico A. Giorgi, who had created {{convert|30|ft|adj=mid|m|-tall}} statues of elephants and lions for the 1916 epic film ''[[Intolerance (film)|Intolerance]]'', and helped to craft the exterior of downtown's [[Million Dollar Theater]]. The gateway to the new cemetery cost $140,000.

The rotunda was dedicated March 1, 1925, with a concert by English contralto Maude Elliott. Picnickers spread blankets on the surrounding grassy expanse between three reflecting pools and flat cemetery markers, which were a new concept at the time. It became a tourist attraction and was used for concerts that were broadcast over radio station KELW by station owner Earl L. White. Just five months after the dedication, Osborne and Fitzpatrick were convicted of fraud. They had repeatedly sold the same burial plots—as many as 16 times—and netted a profit of $3–4 million, according to the ''Los Angeles Times''. They were fined $12,000 each and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but served less than three years.<ref name=bloom>{{cite news| title=Valhalla Cemetery Records History of Famous, Forgotten| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-02-me-23029-story.html| last=Bloom| first=Stephen G.| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>

===State control===
[[Image:Valhalla Memorial Park Fountain.JPG|thumb|220px|left|Fountain at Valhalla Memorial Park]]
The cemetery was taken over by the state of California. It is unclear how long the state owned the {{convert|63|acre|m2|adj=on}} cemetery, but Pierce Brothers bought it in 1950 and, within two years, closed the rotunda to vehicle traffic and moved the entry to the cemetery from Valhalla Drive in Burbank to Victory and Cahuenga boulevards in North Hollywood. There, they opened a two-story office building and mortuary.

On December 17, 1953—the 50th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's 12-second powered hop at Kitty Hawk—the rotunda was rededicated as the Portal of the Folded Wings, through the efforts of aviation fan and cemetery employee James Gillette.<ref>{{cite web |first=Giacinta Bradley |last=Koontz |title=History of Portal of the Folded Wings |url=http://www.portalofthefoldedwings.net/PAGES/history.html |access-date=January 13, 2013 |website=Portal of the Folded Wings}}</ref> During the ceremony, the cremated remains of [[Walter R. Brookins]], the first aviator to take a plane to an altitude of a mile and the Wright brothers' first civilian student, were interred.

When sculptor Giorgi died in 1963, he was buried outside the structure, near his masterpiece. Gillette was also buried outside, near the shrine he helped found.
[[File:Fountain, GW Memorial, Valhalla Cemetery.jpg|thumb|Fountain, GW Memorial, Valhalla Cemetery]]

The memorial was featured in ''Visiting... with [[Huell Howser]]'' Episode 426.<ref>{{cite web |title=Library/Memorial – Visiting (426) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2016/12/07/librarymemorial-visiting-426/}}</ref>

===Sale of property===
[[Image:Amelia Earhart Plaque at Portal of the Folded Wings.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Amelia Earhart Memorial at Portal of the Folded Wings]]
In 1958, Pierce Brothers sold its family-owned chain of Southern California mortuaries and cemeteries to Texas financier [[Joe Allbritton]], who sold {{cvt|20|acre|m2}} of Valhalla for development.<ref name=bloom/> In 1991, the cemeteries and mortuaries were acquired by Service Corp. International of Houston, but the Pierce Brothers sign remains at Valhalla.

==Notable burials==
'''Note''': this is a partial list. Use the following alphabetical links to find a name.

{{compact ToC|side=yes|top=yes|num=yes}}

===A===
* [[Fred Abbott]] (1874–1935), Major League Baseball player<ref>{{cite book| title=The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4oEwCgAAQBAJ| last=Lee| first=Bill| page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=4oEwCgAAQBAJ&q=abbott&pg=PA5 5]| publisher=McFarland| location=Jefferson, N.C.| year= 2015| isbn=978-1476609300| access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Bert Acosta]] (1895–1954), aviation pioneer
* [[Eddie Acuff]] (1903–1956), actor
* [[Ernie Adams (actor)|Ernie Adams]] (1895–1947), actor
* [[Luis Alberni]] (1886–1962), actor
* [[Mary Alden]] (1883–1946), actress
* [[James Anderson (American actor)|James Anderson]] (1921–1969), actor
* [[Harry Antrim]] (1884–1967), actor (unmarked)
* [[Johnny Arthur]] (1883–1951), actor
* [[Edwin August]] (1883–1964), actor, director, screenwriter

===B===
* [[Jill Banner]] (1946–1982), actress
* [[Lionel Belmore]] (1867–1953), actor, director
* [[Bea Benaderet]] (1906–1968), actress, voice actress
* [[Belle Bennett]] (1891–1932), actress
* [[Willie Best]] (1916–1962), actor
* [[Clem Bevans]] (1879–1963), actor
* [[John G. Blystone]] (1892–1938), director
* [[Stanley Blystone]] (1894–1956), actor
* [[Symona Boniface]] (1894–1950), actress 
* [[Al Bridge]] (1891–1957), actor
* [[Tyler Brooke]] (1886–1943), actor
* [[Walter Brookins]] (1889–1953), aviation pioneer
* [[Arthur Q. Bryan]] (1899–1959), actor, comedian, voice actor, radio personality
* [[Nana Bryant]] (1888–1955), actress
* [[Paul E. Burns]] (1881–1967), actor
* [[Frederick Burton (actor)|Frederick Burton]] (1871–1957), actor

===C===
* [[Georgia Caine]] (1876–1964), actress
* Elizabeth Caldwell  (1888–1970), silent screen actress {{citation needed|date=May 2018}}
* [[Brun Campbell]] (1884 –1952), musician
* [[Mark Mitchell Campbell]] (1897–1963), barnstormer, stuntman, Lockheed executive
* [[Yakima Canutt]] (1895–1986), actor, stuntman, director
* [[Jay Chamberlain]], (1925–2001), racing driver (unmarked)
* [[Naomi Childers]] (1892–1964), actress
* [[Ken Christy]] (1894–1962), actor
* [[Mae Clarke]] (1910–1992), actress
* [[Chester Clute]] (1891–1956), actor
* [[Edmund Cobb]] (1892–1974), actor
* [[John Collum]] (1926–1962), actor
* [[Baldwin Cooke]] (1888–1953), actor and comedian
* [[Melville Cooper]] (1896–1973), actor
* [[Jim Corey]] (1883–1956), actor
* [[Gino Corrado]] (1893–1982), actor
* [[Aneta Corsaut]] (1933–1995), actress
* [[Jane Cowl]] (1883–1950), actress
* [[Richard Crane (actor)|Richard Crane]] (1918–1969), actor
* [[Nick Cravat]] (1912–1994), actor and stuntman

===D===
* [[Richard Day (art director)|Richard Day]] (1896–1972), motion picture set designer
* [[Claudia Dell]] (1910–1977), showgirl and actress
* [[Joe DeRita]] (1909–1993), actor, comedian, member of the ''[[Three Stooges]]''
* [[Don Dillaway]] (1903–1982), actor
* [[Douglass Dumbrille]] (1889–1974), film and TV actor
* Edna Dunkerley (1907–1990), Studio Nanny for Hal Roach Studios ''Little Rascals'' and ''Our Gang'' Comedies

===E===
* [[Warren S. Eaton]] (1891–1966), aviator
* [[Cliff Edwards]] (1895–1971), actor, singer, voice-over artist

===F===
* [[Morgan Farley]] (1898–1988), actor
* [[Franklyn Farnum]] (1878–1961), actor
* [[Eddie Firestone]] (1920–2007), actor
* [[Louise E. Francis]] (1869-1932), journalist

===G===
* [[Ceferino Garcia]] (1906–1981), boxer
* [[Louis J. Gasnier|Louis Gasnier]], film director
* [[Gorgeous George]] (1915–1963), professional wrestler
* [[Gladys George]] (1904–1954), actress
* [[Lowell Gilmore]] (1906–1960), actor
* [[Leslie Goodwins]] (1899–1969), film director and screenwriter
* [[Lita Grey]] (1908–1995), actress and 2nd wife of Charlie Chaplin

===H===
[[File:Oliver Hardy Grave.JPG|thumb|Grave of Oliver Hardy]]
* [[Oren W. Haglund]] (1905–1972), [[filmmaking|production manager]] of eleven [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]/[[Warner Brothers]] [[television series]] from 1955 to 1961
* [[Jonathan Hale]] (1891–1966), actor
* [[Florence Halop]] (1923–1986), actress
* [[Lois Hamilton]] (1952–1999), model, author, actress, artist, aviator
* [[Mahlon Hamilton]] (1880–1960), actor
* [[Oliver Hardy]] (1892–1957), actor and comedian, partner of [[Stan Laurel]] 
* [[Leigh Harline]] (1907–1969), composer
* [[Dell Henderson]] (1877–1956), actor, director, writer
* [[Colin Higgins]] (1941–1988), director & screenwriter

===I===
* [[Roger Imhof]] (1875–1958), actor

===J===
* [[Selmer Jackson]] (1888–1971), actor

===K===
* [[Fred Kelsey]] (1884–1961), pioneer actor
* [[Crauford Kent]] (1881–1953), actor
* [[Kathleen Key]] (1903–1954), actress
* [[The Amazing Criswell|Charles Criswell King]] (1907–1982), psychic known as ''The Amazing Criswell''
* [[Bert Kinner]] (1882–1957), aviation pioneer
* [[Fuzzy Knight]] (1901–1976), actor
* [[June Knight]] (1913–1987), actress and dancer
* [[Theodore Kosloff]] (1882–1956), actor, choreographer, ballet dancer
* Paul Kruger (1895–1960), actor 

===L===
* [[Frank Lackteen]] (1897–1968), actor
* [[Alice Lake]] (1895–1967), actress
* [[Sheldon Lewis]] (1868–1958), actor
* [[Robert Lowery (actor)|Robert Lowery]] (1913–1971), actor
* [[Sam Lufkin]] (1891–1952), actor
* [[James Luisi]] (1928–2002), actor

===M===
[[File:Mae Murray Grave.JPG|thumb|Gravestone of Mae Murray]]
* [[Barton MacLane]] (1902–1969), actor
* [[Kermit Maynard]] (1897–1971), actor
* [[Sam McDaniel]] (1886–1962), actor and brother of performers [[Hattie McDaniel]] & [[Etta McDaniel]]
* [[Francis McDonald]] (1891–1968), actor
* [[George Melford]] (1877–1961), actor, director
* [[Michu Meszaros]] (1939–2016), actor and circus performer
* [[Bob Mizer]] (1922–1992), photographer
* [[John Moisant]] (1868–1910), aviation pioneer
* [[Matilde Moisant]] (1878–1964), pioneer aviator
* [[Mantan Moreland]] (1902–1973), actor
* [[Kay Morley (actress)|Kay Morley]] (1920–2020), actress
* [[Mittie Morris]] (1874–1953), social reformer
* [[Mae Murray]] (1885–1965), actress

===N===
* [[Buddy Noonan]] (1937–1989), producer, [[The Roving Kind]] syndicated TV series
* [[Fayard Nicholas]] (1914–2006), actor and dancer
* [[James Nusser]] (1905-1979), actor

===O===
* [[Wheeler Oakman]] (1890–1949), actor

===P===
* [[Virginia Pearson]] (1886–1958), pioneering film actress
* [[Eddy Polo]] (1875–1961), actor, stuntman, the first to parachute off the [[Eiffel Tower]]

===R===
* [[Maxie Rosenbloom|"Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom]] (1904–1976), champion boxer, actor
* [[Gail Russell]] (1924–1961), actress

===S===
* [[Lewis Sargent]] (1903–1970), actor
* [[Charles Sellon]] (1870–1937), actor
* [[Eve Southern]] (1900–1972), actress
* [[Charles Stevens (actor)|Charles Stevens]] (1893–1964), actor (unmarked)
* [[Onslow Stevens]] (1902–1977), actor (unmarked)
* [[Madame Sul-Te-Wan]] (1873–1959), actress

===T===
* [[Charlie Taylor (mechanic)|Charlie Taylor]] (1868–1956), aviation engineer
* [[Lyle Tayo]] (1889–1971), actress
* [[Alma Tell]] (1898–1937), actress
* [[Alice Terry]] (1900–1987), actress
* [[Roland Totheroh]] (1890–1967), cinematographer
* [[Lorna Thayer]] (1919–2005), actress

===V===
* [[Alberta Vaughn]] (1904–1992), actress
* [[Martha Vickers]] (1925–1971), actress and model
* [[Joey D. Vieira]] (1944-2025), actor                                                                                                                                                
* [[Josef von Stroheim]] (1922–2002), sound editor (unmarked)

===W===
* [[Anna Mae Walthall]] (1894-1950), actress 
* [[Ken Weatherwax]] (1955–2014), actor<ref>{{cite news| title=On Halloween, a Deceased Child Star Gets the Sendoff He Deserves| url=https://www.laweekly.com/on-halloween-a-deceased-child-star-gets-the-sendoff-he-deserves/| last=Bartlett| first=James| date=October 19, 2017| newspaper=[[LA Weekly]]| access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Rudd Weatherwax]] (1907–1985), animal trainer
* [[Bud Westmore]] (1918–1973), makeup artist<ref>{{cite book| first=Scott| last=Wilson| title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ| edition=3d| publisher=McFarland| location=Jefferson, N.C.| year= 2016| page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA801 801]| isbn=978-1476625997}}</ref>
* [[Alice White]] (1904–1983), actress
* [[Dave Willock]] (1909–1990), actor
* [[Henry Willson]] (1911–1978), talent agent
* [[Frederick Worlock]] (1886–1973), actor

===Y===
* [[Chief Yowlachie]] (1891–1966), Native American actor

==See also==
* [[List of cemeteries in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/california/north-hollywood/pierce-brothers-valhalla/4786}}
* [http://www.portalofthefoldedwings.net/ The Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation]
* {{Find a Grave cemetery|8420|Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park}}]

{{FoldedWings|state=collapsed}}
{{North Hollywood, Los Angeles}}
{{San Fernando Valley}}
{{Coord|34|11|25|N|118|21|13|W|format=dms|display=title|type:landmark_region:US-CA}}

[[Category:Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery| ]]
[[Category:Cemeteries in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the San Fernando Valley]]
[[Category:History of the San Fernando Valley]]
[[Category:Parks in the San Fernando Valley]]
[[Category:North Hollywood, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:1923 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Cemeteries established in the 1920s]]